Standards for Guideline Development

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force) is committed to making its recommendation development process as clear and transparent as possible so that health care professionals, partners, and the American public are fully informed at each step. The following table (PDF File, 353 KB; PDF Help) outlines the Task Force’s processes and describes how they align with the National Academy of Medicine's (formerly the Institute of Medicine) recommendations for guideline development, as described in the report Clinical Practice Guidelines We Can Trust. These standards, which were developed at the request of the U.S. Congress, seek to protect patients and ensure that clinicians receive high-quality recommendations by outlining the best methods for developing clinical practice guidelines. The Task Force is dedicated to developing trustworthy, evidence-based recommendations that provide patients and clinicians with the best available information about the current science of prevention so that they can make informed decisions about their health and health care.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force is an independent, volunteer panel of 16 national experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine. Our mission is to improve the health of all Americans by making evidence-based recommendations on clinical preventive services and health promotion in primary care settings.